Amritsar, October 17
Deviating from their earlier stand, militant leaders of the Babbar Khalsa, UK-based Babbar Khalsa International and Dal Khalsa today severely condemned the recent bomb blast in Ludhiana, saying, “We don’t believe in violence.”

The significant statement came from these militant leaders after the needle of suspicion in the recent bomb blast in a cinema hall of Ludhiana pointed towards the Babbar Khalsa International and other militant organisations based in various foreign countries.

Wadhawa Singh Babbar, chief of Babbar Khalsa International, talking to The Tribune on phone said, “We are the Sikhs of Gurus and we feel pained whenever any innocent life is lost in violence anywhere in the world.”

He said the recent attack was a dastardly act and the guilty should be punished as per the law of the land. He said the solution to any political or social problem should be found through democratic means, adding, “We don’t believe in violent activities.”

Echoing similar views, Avtar Singh Sanghera and Manmohan Singh Khalsa, UK-based militant leaders of the Babbar Khalsa International and Dal Khalsa, respectively, said the bomb attack in the cinema hall of Ludhiana was shameful and should be condemned equivocally. The Sikh religion does not allow the killing of any innocent person, they added.

These militant leaders are allegedly involved in the killing of hundreds of innocent persons during the two-decade turmoil in the state. They have sought political asylum in Pakistan, the UK and other western countries.

Expressing sympathy with the bereaved families, they said the government should leave no stone unturned in apprehending the culprits responsible for the heinous crime. They said the government should pay compensation to the families of those killed in the blast.

Amritsar, October 17
Akal Takht should summon Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Parmjit Singh Sarna for hurting the sentiments of the Sikh community by sending the 100 “saroops” of Guru Granth Sahib from Mumbai to a foreign country in a Canter.

Stating this in a press release here today, Avtar Singh Makkar, president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, lashed out at Sarna for sending the saroops of holy book in a Canter like a ordinary commodity, thus violating the Sikh maryada.

He said the SGPC had constituted a committee to probe into the charges. The committee comprised Tarsem Singh Khalsa, in charge of the Sikh Mission Delhi, Jathedar Avtar Singh Hit, Bhupinder Singh Anand, Kuldeep Singh Bhogal and senior secretary of the SGPC Ajaib Singh.

Lashing out at Sarna for misleading the Sikh community by issuing statements with regard to the books on Sikh history published by the SGPC, Makkar said the DSGMC president should have verified the facts before giving any statement.

He said a committee of intellectuals was investigating the case and the SGPC had decided to reproduce the book on Sikh history after research.

Makkar urged the Jathedar of Akal Takht to summon Sarna and others responsible for their irresponsible actions so that the facts were brought before the Sikhs.

Amritsar, October 17
Diversification of agriculture in the state received a major setback when equipment for a high-tech floriculture project worth several crores was auctioned for about Rs 6 lakh by the Punjab Financial Corporation (PFC). The PFC had acquired the project last year.

The aggrieved promoters of the project, Roses Floriculture Limited, here sent a representation to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal yesterday seeking his personal intervention to prevail upon the PFC not to destroy the project in his bid to recover its liabilities.

Chairman of the company Narinder Kumar Jain pointed out that the PFC had acquired the unit last year without having the requisite knowledge to handle the delicate rose plants, which had been planted at a cost of crores of rupees. He mentioned that this lack of knowledge about the equipment led to the project becoming unsustainable.

He said the Punjab government had helped in rehabilitating a similar project run by Phulwari Biotech Limited, Dera Bassi, by offering several concessions for its revival. He asked the government to take a similar stance and provide the project with financial help.

He stated in the presentation that the machinery had been bought under advance licence with an express clause that the flowers from the project will be exported or the equipment would attract customs duty of same amount.

He said this mess had been caused due to the rigid attitude of the PFC.

Amritsar, October 17
The recent notification issued by the Central government to ban export of basmati has hit the prices, which crashed by Rs 300-350 per quintal for long grain, a new variety of basmati.

According to a survey conducted by the Punjab Rice Millers Exporters Association, the farmers are likely to loose Rs 300-Rs 350 crore for “sharbati” and PUSA 1121 varieties. The abrupt ban imposed by the Union government has made the markets grimace, resulting in an initial drop of Rs 100 to 200 per quintal and after today’s development the market has lost another Rs 100.

The PUSA 1121 variety, which was getting an excellent price of Rs 2,100- Rs 2,150, was now being sold at Rs 1,800 per quintal as their seemed to be a long-drawn battle with the government, which had taken this decision to meet the growing requirements under the public distribution system and other welfare schemes. The government in a hasty decision on October 10 on the recommendation of the Cabinet committee on economic affairs had taken the decision.

President of the All-India Rice Exporters Association Vijay Setia has sought the intervention of the Punjab and Haryana governments for taking up the matter with the Central government for withdrawal of this notification. He said a large number of rice consignments were in the transit The stoppage of the operation would lead to a catastrophic situation, he added.

Bathinda, October 17
Half a dozen applicants for the posts of primary teacher in the Bathinda region have been found to possess fake ETT (Elementary Teachers Training) degrees.

The zila parishad here had published an advertisement in the last week of September this year, for filling the vacancies of 41 ETT qualified teachers. Responding to the advertisement, 1,868 applicants submitted their documents, of which only 22 had an ETT degree. Out of these 22, two had taken back their applications.

None of the applicants had an ETT degree from Punjab. As many as 1,848 candidates had done their B.Ed. According to sources, the authorities here are finding it difficult to find qualified candidates: those who have acquired their ETT degree from Punjab.

In the list of applicants, about a dozen candidates are those who have acquired the degree from Haryana and Delhi. A major number of applicants is of those who have acquired the degree from Kanpur, Jammu and Chandigarh.

The parishad has declared that six candidates who had applied had a fake ETT degree. Chairman of the parishad Bikramjit Singh Bikka said, “Six of the candidates were found with fake degrees. We will take legal action against them.”

Sources in the parishad said these candidates had qualified from institutes in Kanpur and Delhi, which have been declared fake.

A senior official of the parishad, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said, “There are ETT academies in Bathinda district which have links with Jammu-based academies. There are also agents who take the responsibility for qualifying the students.”

Meanwhile, the parishad is learnt to be preparing the list of selected teachers. It is expected to be published by tomorrow.

Jammuana (Muktsar), October 17
As Chief Minister in 1997, Parkash Singh Badal had vowed to resolve the problem of waterlogging in not only this village but in thousands of acres of over 60 villages. And today, he sat again among farmers as CM, assuring them of an end to ‘sem’ (waterlogging in their fields) soon.

Accompanied by three scientists from the Delhi-based Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), the Chief Minister was seen studying maps of the sem-affected villages and instructing the officials concerned to take measures for the farmers’ benefit.

Jammuana, Thandewal, Lakhmireana, Rattan Khera, Tarkhanwala, Midda and Boddiwala are the seven villages in Muktsar district which Badal visited along with irrigation minister Janmeja Singh Sekhon and senior officials.

“Take as much money as you want, but this region should be cleared of sem on a priority basis,” Badal told the officers as men folk of Jammuana and adjacent villages briefed him on the chocked drains which had been dug some eight to 10 years back to drain out the saline water.

The CGWB men had surveyed this area in September last as well. The team, which has been coming to these villages time and again since 1997, has identified 17 central points, covering 63 villages of Muktsar district, where the micro-projects to drain out the saline water from the fields were to be set up with the help of the central government.

Though the girdawari (survey) was done to compensate the farmers, they cry that they were not being compensated adequately.

Some farmers also claimed that they were being ignored by the administration as the government was being “vindictive” to them because of the victory of a Congress candidate from the Muktsar Assembly constituency in the Assembly poll.

Chandigarh, October 17
Amritsar, which has emerged as a new international air travel hub, is all set to have a new five-star hotel, Courtyard by Marriot.

Of late, the city which returned to the international air map, is now directly connected to London, Birmingham, Dubai, Singapore, Toronto, New York and other destinations. It, however, has been handicapped in the absence of five-star hotel facilities.

The new hotel, which will cater to niche target group, is being promoted by Emaar MGF Land Limited, a joint venture between one of the world’s leading real estate companies Emaar Properties PJSC of Dubai, and a leading domestic real estate developer, MGF Development Limited of India. The group has lined up ambitious mega plans for strengthening the hospitality infrastructure in the country across value chain.

The group has entered into an operating agreement and a MoU with global hospitality giant Marriott group to develop a 150 keys “Courtyard By Marriot” in Amritsar. It will be a brand for “business travellers designed by business travellers”. This will be the first Marriot for the city of Amritsar. It is expected to be commissioned by 2010.

The group is planning to come up with a 250 keys JW Marriot property in Kolkata, also the first for Kolkata. This will bring to Kolkata, one of the premier hospitality brands offering a deluxe level of comfort The Emarr MGF had earlier signed a MoU with the Punjab Government to develop 5000 acres of land in different parts of the state, including Mohali, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Amritsar. The company is also developing a 3000-acre integrated master planned community in Mohali, called the Mohali Hills.

Abohar, October 17
Some car-borne miscreants have made a bid to grab a prime piece of land here by burning the hut of the chowkidar, sources said.

Gurmeet Singh, son of Gurdeep Singh of Alamgarh village, located near the city bypass, had purchased 22 kanals of prime land on the Abohar-Malout road (National Highway 10) within municipal limits here some months back. He had a tough time in dispossessing the old occupants of the land that was considered worth crores of rupees following development of new residential colonies in the periphery.

Atma Singh was deployed there as caretaker and a hut made for him.

He said some persons reached there late last night. Smelling foul play, Atma Singh escaped, taking advantage of the darkness and took shelter in the neighboring shrubs. The miscreants put the hut on fire and fled, hurling abuses and threats, he said.

The police is investigating. Fingers are being pointed at persons who had been displaced by the present owner of the land, sources said. 

Bathinda, October 16
The family of Sukhmander Singh of Blahad Mahima village in the district, who has been missing for the past two months, has now decided to knock at the doors of the judiciary.

Family members of Sukhmander, 35, said they would complain against the dilly-dallying by the police. They alleged that despite repeated pleas to the police officials, no breakthrough had taken place.

Sukhpal, brother of the missing boy, said, “I petitioned the Goniana police, I also appeared at the sangat darshan thrice in this regard, but no one has taken it seriously.”

“The police has registered a case on the basis of the statement of my father. We had informed the police that one Kulwinder Singh had taken my brother along with him. Kulwinder was arrested, but released a few days later.”

Jagga Singh, father of Sukhmander, said, “I took along panchayat members of the village to request the police to keep an eye on Kulwinder. But the police is showing laxity in the case.” — TNS

Patiala, October 17
The re-induction of a contractor, accused in the EPF scam, into the PSEB has raised many eyebrows in the organisation. Contractor R.S. Sodhi, working in the Ropar thermal plant, was accused of embezzling about Rs 50 lakh from EPF accounts of contractual labourers working under him.

When the matter came to the fore, he deposited back the embezzled amount. However, former DGP of the PSEB vigilance Lalit Bhatia said regardless of the returning of the amount, the contractor could not be exonerated as the crime had been committed. Therefore, he went ahead and registered a case against him. Twenty senior officials of the plant were allegedly involved in the embezzlement with the contractor.

Bhatia told The Tribune that another case of EPF embezzlement at the Lehra thermal plant had been registered against the contractor.

After the case, the PSEB vigilance recommended the blacklisting of the contractor.

However, in a controversial decision, the Punjab Police withdrew the case against the contractor in court. This evoked protests from the PSEB vigilance.

Now, the return of the contractor to the plant has raised hackles at the PSEB.

He has been given four registrations in a short time-span in departments where, allegedly, he has little experience.

The general manager of the Ropar thermal plant said he did not have much knowledge about the said registrations. He said officers concerned generally forwarded the registrations. The member, generation, PSEB, was not available for comments.

Sources here indicated that there was political pressure on the authorities to re-induct the contractor. It has been alleged that the companies are pooling and contracts are going at a very high cost. So the authorities facilitated the entry of a tainted contractor to lower the rates and create competition.

Chural Kalan (Moonak), October 17
At a mass marriage ceremony, 13 girls, who were daughters of marginal farmers and farm labourers who had committed suicide under the burden of debt in the past some years in Moonak subdivision of Sangrur district, were today married off at the residence of Inderjit Singh Jeji. He had been taking up the cause of farmers and farm labourers at the state and national levels.

The entire expenditure (about Rs 13 lakh) was done by Bhai Balwinder Singh Rangila’s Chandigarh-based Sri Guru Ram Dass Ji Gurmat Sangeet Academy. Every girl was given domestic goods and some gold ornaments.

Of the 13 girls, three were from Jat Sikh families and one from a Muslim family. Fathers of three Jat Sikh girls were marginal farmers while the fathers of remaining 10 girls were farm labourers.

Jeji, who is also chairman of the Movement Against State Repression, said they had been facing problems in convincing the Jat Sikh families to get their girls married at the mass marriage ceremony.

Langar was organised on the occasion. Shaguns were also given to the couples after the marriage ceremony.

Chandigarh, October 17
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today asked for the details of witnesses proposed to be examined in the disproportionate assets case against Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and others.

Taking up a petition filed by the state of Punjab for allowing the public prosecutor to examine the investigating officer before the remaining witnesses in the case, Justice Surya Kant also fixed November 14 as the next date of hearing in the matter. Senior advocate-cum-former advocate-general G.S. Grewal was also appointed as amicus curiae in the case.

The judge also dismissed an application filed by a Jalandhar-based journalist seeking permission to be impleaded as intervener in the case and verbally observed in the open court that no one could be allowed to use the courts as platform to achieve publicity or popularity.

The state had earlier moved the plea for setting aside the order of Ropar Special Judge vide which he had rejected the public prosecutor’s application for examining the investigating officer of the case.

The petition, impleading Parkash Singh Badal, his wife Surinder Badal, son Sukhbir Badal and seven others, stated that the Special Judge’s order dated August 20 was against the provisions of law.

Amritsar, October 17
Writers, through literature, should play a realistic and vital role rather than a cosmetic one as there is an urgent need of revolutionary ideology for bringing in change in society plagued with economical and cultural crisis.

This was stated by Jnanpith award winner and Padma Shri Prof Gurdial Singh while talking to The Tribune. He was here to deliver a lecture during the valedictory function of the four-week general orientation course organised by Academic Staff College of Guru Nanak Dev University which concluded here today. Dr Dharam Singh, Professor, School of Punjabi Studies, was the chief guest.

Professor Gurdial, who has contributed about four dozen books of poetry, novels, stories and translation depicting the agony of the people of not only of Punjab but also of the whole country, said Punjab was facing a virtual economical and cultural crisis.

Expressing his concern over the decline in the standards of education, he said only 3 per cent children attain higher education. Until the government gave priority to education, the condition of society would remain unchanged.

About the role of teachers, Professor Gurdial said they should remain attentive to the problems faced by the country as only they could bring the change by making the society aware. He said people should be made aware of the problems faced by our society so that they could think and come on a common platform to build pressure on the government to solve these problems.

He said the financial and social conditions of our country had shown a decline and there was an urgent need to make the people aware of improving this situation and teachers could play a vital role in this.